Rotary hand-stand apparatus



1968 KIYOSHI TOTSUKA 3,366,104

ROTARY HAND STAND APPARATUS Filed Oct. 18, 1965 INVENTOR BYLUWMZZE;

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,366,104 ROTARY HAND-STAND APPARATUS Kiyoshi Totsuka, 43 Chokyujicho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Japan Filed Oct. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 497,081 Claims priority, application Japan, Mar. 29, 1965, 40/ 18,506 1 Claim. (Cl. 128-24) The present invention relates to an apparatus in which the users body can be kept in hand-stand position for a desired length of time without causing any substantial physical strains especially in the arms and hands, and more particularly, to an apparatus to be used for the purpose of improving the users health and beauty by keeping the users body in a hand-stand position by simple manipulation of this apparatus.

Conventional rotators are put into rotary motion by the weight of the user himself. These rotators had their objects and their characteristics in the improvement of only the users physical strength, namely, development of the muscles and the bone structure through the rotation of the users body. It has been impossible to expact as far as cosmetic and/ or therapeutic effects from conventional apparatus such, for example, as cure of insomnia and neuralgia. Moreover, because the speed of the rotation of conventional rotators was such that the rotators were too severe to be used by primary school children and elderly persons. Thus, the use of these rotators were restricted to only young and healthy persons. These are some of the most conspicuous disadvantages of the conventional rotators.

According to the present invention, there is provided a rotary hand-stand apparatus comprising a base; a rotary frame comprising a front rim and a rear rim connected by a number of horizontal connecting rods, a pair of vertical rods connected to a pair of upper and a pair of lower horizontal connecting rods, a pair of grip rods attached to said vertical rods so as to extend inwardly therefrom, a pair of rotary shafts rotatably mounted on said base and disposed so as to flank both sides of each rim and to support said rims, rotation of said shafts being effected by means of a transmission mechanism and a reduction gear actuated by a motor connected to power source; a sustaining shaft rotatably mounted on said base between said rotary shafts and immediately above the inner surface of the portion of the rim closest to said base so as to engage said surface of the rim; a body-supporting board attached to said vertical rods at substantially the mid portion thereof and having a pair of feet-sustaining fittings secured thereto; a pair of friction wheels mounted to said rotary shafts so as to engage the outer peripheries of said rims; and a switch means attached to one of the said grip rods and operable to connect and disconnect said motor to and from the power source, whereby enabling the rider or the user of the apparatus to effect a half rotation of said rotary frame by a simple manipulation of said switch means to keep his body in a hand-stand position consecutively for a desired length of time, for example, several minutes. The present invention is intended to eliminate the deficiencies of the conventional rotators and is characterized in that the apparatus of the present invention can be used by almost all the generations from primary school children up to elderly persons and that various desirable effects such as cosmetic, health and therapeutic, can be obtained through the use of this apparatus and that this apparatus is operated by a simple manipulation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be understood more clearly by reading the following description when considered together with the attached drawings wherein:

3,366,104 Patented Jan. 30, 1968 FIG. 1 is a front view of the apparatus of the present lnvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the electric circuit used in the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, like numerals represent in general like parts of the apparatus of the present invention. Numeral 1 represents a base of the apparatus. A pair of rotary shafts 2 and 3 are mounted to said base by means of a pair of bearings 4 and 5 and spaced from each other so as to flank and support the rims 10a and 10b of the rotary frame 10. A sustaining shaft 19 is mounted on said base between said rotary shafts by a bearing 20 so as to sustain the rims from inside. Numeral 6 and 7 represent pulleys secured to said rotary shafts 2 and 3 at the rear ends thereof and a belt 8 is stretched between said pulleys around their peripheries. Friction wheels generally indicated by numeral 9' are secured to said rotary shafts 2 and 3, respectively. A rotary frame generally indicated by numeral 10 comprises a front rim 10m and a rear rim 10b disposed to face each other and to form an integral frame 10 by a number of horizontal connecting rods generally indicated by numeral 11 which connect the front rim 10a with the rear rim 10b. A pair of vertical connecting rods 12 are connected to a pair of uppermost horizontal rods 11 and to a pair of lowermost horizontal rods 11. A body-supporting board 13 is attached to substantially the middle portions of said vertical connecting rods 12, and a platform 15 is attached to said vertical connecting rods horizontally at a lower portion of said vertical rods. A band 14 of an appropriate type is attached to said body-supporting board 13 in such manner that its ends extend from said board. A pair of feet-sustaining fittings generally indicated by numeral 16 are attached to said platform 15. Numeral 17 generally indicates a pair of grip rods mounted to said pair of vertical rods 12 at upper portions thereof and extending inwardly therefrom. A switch means 18 is attached to one of said grip rods 17. The rotary frame 10- is mounted on and supported by the rotary shafts 2 and 3 and the external peripheries of the rims 10a and 10b of said frame engage the friction wheels 9 of the rotary shafts 2 and 3. Numeral 21 is a pulley secured to one of the rotary shafts. A belt 25 is stretched between said pulley and another pulley 24 of a reduction gear 23 connected directly to a motor 22. Said motor is connected to power source through the intermediary of the switch means 18 which is attached to said grip rod 17 In order to operate the apparatus of the present invention, the user inserts his feet into the feet-sustaining fittings 16, stands on the platform 15, ties round his abdominal regions with the band 14 extending from the body-supporting board 13, grips the grip rods 17, and presses the switch 18. The pressing on the switch actuates the motor 22 and the revolution of the motor is transmitted to the rotary shaft 2 by means of the belt 25. The revolution is further transmitted to another rotary shaft 3 by means of the belt 8. When the rotary shafts 2 and 3 are thus put into motion, the rotation of the shafts 2 and 3 is transmitted by the friction of the friction wheels 9 to the rotary frame 10 so that the rotary frame 10 starts revolution at a low speed. At this moment, the sustaining shaft 19 is also rotated, of course. When the rotary frame 10 is about to complete a half rotation, the user or the rider turns off the switch 18 to stop the rotation of the motor 22. The half of the rotation of the motor immediately causes the rotary frame to stop its revolution just when the frame has made a half rotation, and the user is in the state of standing on his hands. After continuing this hand-stand position of the body of the user consecutively for 2 to 3 minutes, the user again turns on the switch 18 to start the revolution of the frame 10 until the frame comes to the initial position.

Thus, the user can freely effect the rotation of his body in this frame by the mere simple manipulation of the switch in a manner as described above.

One of the remarkable features of the apparatus of the present invention is in the fact that the users feet are held in the feet-sustaining fittings 16 and his abdominal regions are tied with a band 14 and his body weight is received on the platform 15, so that even when the body of the user is in an upset position, his body weight is sup ported around his waist and feet regions alone and no weight is supported by the arms and hands, thereby causing no substantially great physical strains to the user. Therefore, a primary school child up to an elderly person can use this apparatus without any danger to the users body. Another feature of the apparatus is found in the fact that only a very simple procedure operates the apparatus. Still another important feature is the fact that as soon as the users body assumes the hand-stand position by the procedure as described above, his blood circulation is improved remarkably. If the user is a woman, her countenance will begin to show a vivid brightness as a result of improved blood circulation, and thus she will obtain a great deal of benefits cosmetically. Not only that, such use of this apparatus as described above will contribute remarkably toward the release of fatigue, neurosis, headache, dizziness, and furthermore toward the improvement and cure of insomnia, neuralgia, stiffening of shoulders, rheumatism and the like, and still further will improve the memory and the vitality of the users. Still another convenience of the apparatus of the present invention is in the fact that by detaching the sustaining rod 19 from the base and from the rims of, the apparatus and by thereafter detaching the rotary frame 10 from the base 1 and by placing the rotary frame itself on the ground, one can ride in the frame while another person pushes this frame 10 until the frame makes a half revolution, thereby the rider can assume the same hand-stand position and can obtain the same desirable effects without the aid of the action of the motor and without consuming any bit of electricity.

The drawings which accompany this specification are intended to only illustrate the principle and an embodiment of the present invention and should not be restricted thereto. For example, a pair of rotary shafts may be substituted by only one shaft. It is therefore to be understood that various modifications of the present invention may be attained by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary hand-stand apparatus comprising a base; a rotary frame comprising a front rim and a rear rim connected to face each other by a number of horizontal connecting rods, a pair of vertical rods connected to a pair of upper and a pair of lower horizontal connecting rods, a pair of grip rods attached to said vertical rods so as to extend inwardly therefrom, a pair of rotary shafts rotatably mounted on said base and disposed so as to flank and support the rims of said frame, rotation of said shafts being effected by means of a transmission mechanism and a reduction gear actuated by a motor connected to power source; a sustaining shaft rotatably mounted on said base between said rotary shafts so as to sustain the said rims from inside thereof; a body-supporting board attached to said vertical rods at substantially the middle portion thereof and having a band secured thereto and extending inwardly therefrom; a platform attached horizontally to said vertical rods at a lower portion thereof and having a pair of feet-sustaining fittings secured thereto; a pair of friction wheels mounted to said rotary shafts so as to engage the peripheries of said rims; and a switch means attached to one of said grip rods and operable to connect and disconnect said motor to and from the power source, whereby enabling the rider of the apparatus to effect a half rotation of said rotary frame by a simple manipulation of said switch means to keep his body in a hand-stand position consecutively for a desired length of time.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,286,707 11/1966 Shafer 128-24 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,146,334 5/1957 France.

LAWRENCE W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Examiner. 

1. A ROTARY HAND-STAND APPARATUS COMPRISING A BASE; A ROTARY FRAME COMPRISING A FRONT RIM AND A REAR RIM CONNECTED TO FACE EACH OTHER BY A NUMBER OF HORIZONTAL CONNECTING RODS, A PAIR OF VERTICAL RODS CONNECTED TO A PAIR OF UPPER AND A PAIR OF LOWER HORIZONTAL CONNECTING RODS, A PAIR OF GRIP RODS ATTACHED TO SAID VERTICAL RODS SO AS TO EXTEND INWARDLY THEREFROM, A PAIR OF ROTARY SHAFTS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE AND DISPOSED SO AS TO FLANK AND SUPPORT THE RIMS OF SAID FRAME, ROTATION OF SAID SHAFTS BEING EFFECTED BY MEANS OF A TRANSMISSION MECHANISM AND A REDUCTION GEAR ACTUATED BY A MOTOR CONNECTED TO POWER SOURCE; A SUSTAINING SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE BETWEEN SAID ROTARY SHAFTS SO AS TO SUSTAIN THE SAID RIMS FROM INSIDE THEREOF; A BODY-SUPPORTING BOARD ATTACHED TO SAID VERTICAL RODS AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE MIDDLE PORTION THEREOF AND HAVING A BAND SECURED THERETO AND EXTENDING INWARDLY THEREFROM; A PLATFORM ATTACHED HORIZONTALLY TO SAID VERTICAL RODS AT A LOWER PORTION THEREOF AND HAVING A PAIR OF FEET-SUSTAINING FITTINGS SECURED THERETO; A PAIR OF FRICTION WHEELS MOUNTED TO SAID ROTARY SHAFTS SO AS TO ENGAGE THE PERIPHERIES OF SAID RIMS; AND A SWITCH MEANS ATTACHED TO ONE OF SAID GRIP RODS AND OPERABLE TO CONNECT AND DISCONNECT SAID MOTOR TO AND FROM THE POWER SOURCE, WHEREBY ENABLING THE RIDER OF THE APPARATUS TO EFFECT A HALF ROTATION OF SAID ROTARY FRAME BY SIMPLE MANIPULATION OF SAID SWITCH MEANS TO KEEP HIS BODY IN A HAND-STAND POSITION CONSECUTIVELY FOR A DESIRED LENGTH OF TIME. 